North and South Korea started talks at a border village Monday on resuming the reunions of family separated by the Korean War in the early 1950s, Seoul officials said.<br />The talks among the rivals' Red Cross officials at Panmunjom were made possible after they struck a deal earlier this month that eased animosity that saw them threatening war.<br />The standoff flared after a mine explosion blamed on Pyongyang maimed two South Korean soldiers.<br />The highly emotional reunions have not happened since early last year.<br />Most applicants are in their 70s or older and desperate to see their loved ones before they die.<br />Many Koreans don't even know whether relatives on the other side of the border are still alive because their governments mostly ban the exchange of letters, phone calls or emails.<br />The planned reunions are not a sure thing.<br />The rivals have a long history of failing to follow through on reconciliation efforts.
